The Effect of Shelter Availability on Arrests of People Experiencing Homelessness

In the United States, thousands of people experiencing homelessness are arrested and charged with crimes each year. Often, these charges stem from laws that criminalize acts and behaviors associated with homelessness, such as sleeping in public areas and panhandling. Advocates commonly argue that housing and social services will reduce these behaviors. Public policy scholars Andrew Sullivan and Stephanie Casey Pierce will examine how increased shelter availability impacts quality of life arrests for people experiencing homelessness. They will analyze data on shelter use and capacity and jail incarcerations in Orange County, Florida and will conduct an experiment for their study.